"oh ,hello, uncle, bhiaya.... sir"she howld as she saw someone standing at 'her' corner of the terrace. Her joy knew no bounds that day.Although she had developed some selfdoubts after the whole Raunak scenario,still she couldn't help feeling excited about their upcoming date. The meeting with Maya had truly made her day, and she was almost sure that Maya would support her cause. Ever since, she had been wearing a smile which denied to fade away.
Sidharth's day had been a disaster, his EV project was not going ahead,it was far from his initial expectations and then the Sameera episode.Frustration and anger had almost paralyze him."There's no peace anywhere." he thought,and then he finally turned around to see a girl smiling,and it irked him even more, he couldn't understand how do people manage to smile so much where as it feels like a task to him. It made him jealous, leaving him wondering why he never found enough reasons to giggle like the girl standing infront of him has.
She, on the ontherhand was just mystified to see his appearance when he finally turned.He was tall and masculine, a stark contrast to her petite frame. Even the business suit he wore couldn't conceal his well-defined muscles.His face held a captivating allure, suddenly all the cute guys she had ever dated or taken interest in, felt bellow average infront of him. His face bore the very fine line of experience, suggesting that he had moved beyond the early stages of youth. Yet, in his deep, dark eyes, there was a sparkle, as if he dared her with a silent invitation. His masculinity was far more captivating and tantalizing than just physical attractiveness,his whole personality had the power to turn her knees into jelly.
"Excuse me" he uttered rolling his eyes ,his voice depicted arrogance as he was still in a state of anger but she was just too happy that day,and was still smiling,and this time he properly notice her smile, He had never seen such smile,her teeth were white and slightly like a bunny, no not like a bunny, he didn't know how to describe them but there was something about her front two teeth.
And then they had a 3 second eyelock.
"Stop smiling like a fool you idiot... concentrate on something else... concentrate on the sunset, but dikh nahin raha hai,yeah view block karke khada hai.mmm....
.concentrate on your new socks" Shehnaaz prompted her self. She climbed up on of the marvel bench and set over the back rest.
"What am I doing, ogling at a complete stranger!" he too reminded himself and looked down.She took off her sneakers without using her hands and looked at her cute socks ,He hadn't marked them yet but,he was looking at her feet unknowingly ,just to avoid looking at her beautiful face,She curled her toes when she saw him looking at her feet.
"You know we have the same ones in our aquarium?" she said,her eyes were squinting from all her grinning and her cheeks were pink form what he had no idea.
"Socks?" He asked,getting little shocked and looked at her face again.
There was something about her that compelled him to look at her again and again.She was easily the most eye catching thing he had ever seen and he wished he hadn't ever seen
"No,silly" she said and the sides of her cheeks lifted into a smile."did she just call me silly" he exclaimed, There was some mysterious thing about her that forced him to look at her again and again.
"These fishes on my socks" she uttered, her cheeks were swelling up as she was smiling in between her talk.."When dadi said chubby cheeks wali ladkiyan jyada pretty lagti hai , did he meant cheeks like hers" he wondere,getting zoned out for some moment.
"Shehnaaz,he is handsome but you are actually being too cheap... enough of talking and smiling, hosh main aa.... isko hatne bol,tu kal date pe ja rahi hai, yeah out of league lag raha hai and sunset important hai." she reminded herself one last time as she realized that she was smiling too much.
"Now please move,you are blocking the view" she said with a sarcastic smile this time.
"What view?, ita huge terrace, kahin aur chali jao." he said turning his face around,looking at the beautiful sunset.
"Arey aise kaise muh pher liya" she thought and decided to talk to him just to see his face again.
"Are you stressed, you can tell me,I can help." she asked
"Are you sure?" He asked. ",this is not me, first that Robin hood girl and now this one, am I actually getting facinated by younger girls .. I have bigger issues in life,i need to just shut her up and think about Sameera" He gave a note to his own self.
"Yes ,try me"she answerd.
"Get the fuck out of here,please." he said making an irritated face this time deciding not to get into any unnecessary conversation, she, on a normal situation would have given him back but today was different. She was in a pleasant mood, and while she didn't shout back, she did what she was known for- doing exact opposite of what people asked her to do.
"All well Sir,aap kudne toh nahin wale ho wahan se?" she asked next.
"Are you serious?Listen,please leave me alone." he said again.
"Let me tell you this,i
I am researching on it and read somewhere,'no one is a loner,no matter what one tells you, it's not because they enjoy solitude, It's because they have tried blending into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.Try me, we anyways are strangers, won't judge you.waise bhi mujhe ghanta farak nahin padega apke life main kya ho raha hai but appka burden kam hoga." She said and he again looked at her with curiosity,she seemed interesting, her analogy somehow felt real to him. He indeed hadn't blended well into the world around him yet and people do disappoint him.
"Let me ask you again... " Why are you upset" "I need to shut her up,she is being too much" he again thought.
"how old are you ,badi ho jao pehle" he said, she looked like a high school girl in her black yoga pants coordinated sport bra , it seemed as if she came straight out of gym, her hair was tied into a high pony.
"19 years and 8months " she replied with a proud smirk.
"How old are you? " she asked in return. "32 years,8 months and how many days.... aj ka date?" He was at the verge of calculating his age when he again realized that how stupid an act it was.
"Why would I tell you?" He dismissed as he realized what he was doing.
"because I have just told you." she argued. "I should let her know that I am 13 years senior to her.... say 33 instead".
"35" he had no idea why 35 came out of his mouth,may be he just wanted to tell her that he was way older then her.
"aapne bade hoke kya ukhaad liya?" She said rolling her eyes and he was stunned,he certainly didn't expect this response. He had hoped for some respect, considering his seniority.he definitely didn't expect this.They both got quiet after that. He again got lost thinking about his equation with Sameera and she was just busy checking him out from behind.
"Heart break?" She asked after staying mum for 10 minutes.
"Nope engagement broke ",he was too lost at the time of answering the question,completely unguarded and unmindful .It was a stark contract to his nature,first time he had replied to a stranger regarding his personal life.
" today?" She aaked
"8 months back." he replied without paying much attention to her.
" lolzzz.... mera aj breakup hua and Kal main apne crush ke saath date pe ja bhi rahi hoon... learn from me" she uttered and he once again looked at her face.
"Life is full of opertunities, kahin se nikloge tabhi kahin poncho ge, Warne aise chaat pe Suit pehenke sunset dekhte hue sutta pite rahoge.."she said with a air of confidence, He gazed at her, trying to fathom how someone could be so self-assured and outspoken. He struggled with simple self-expression, but this girl was utterly carefree, as if she didn't give a damn about other's opinion.
"Samjhe" she asked and he raised his eyebrows as if he was saying that he didn't understand what she said.
"Dekho... I was with Aarav, and us se pehle, I was with....."
she then went up to blabber about how she met Raunak at a youth festival, and gave some intricate details about Aarav ,and few of his other boyfriend then she gave details about their breakups. Her primary aim was to convey that a single breakup doesn't signify the end of the world. She also told him her trademark bus analogy, stating that relationships are like buses, with love being the ultimate destination.
"It's important to board the right bus, you know? And one should always have the courage to get off the wrong bus and out of the wrong relationship. warna jindagi repentance main beetegi... samjhe ?" She asked.
He had no clue why she was saying all these,He didn't fully grasp her words, but he had a strong sense that this 19-year-8- month old girl was unlike anyone he had ever came across and she is dangerous for his mental health. Suddenly he couldn't bear being infront of her anymore.He felt he might lose his mind if he continued spending time with her. He needed to distance himself to preserve his sanity, since he had already shared more about himself with her than he normally does.
"All the best for your date,I got to go." he said and walked away, but suddenly his steps became slow he couldn't stop himself from glancing back at her, who was looking at him already, she forces a friendly smile, the kind we flash when saying goodbye to someone, and he returns it with a nod,making his way towards the tower's elevator. It was only after stepping inside the elevator that he realized how disoriented he was. He had only needed to cross the bridge to reach his tower, but the conversation with the girl had left him feeling zoned out,he had no clue why she had affected him so much.
He knew that it couldn't be just about looks. Looks had never truly captivated him, he himself was a rare blend of amazing looks, wealth, and intelligence. Throughout his life, he had garnered attention from women, including models, actresses, and even pageant winners, but he had never spared them a second look. However, this girl was something else, she wasn't just pretty,she was genuinely beautiful. There was a certain aura about her that felt entirely new to him
Before he could delve further into his thoughts about her, the logical part of his mind intervened, reminding him that this meeting was entirely coincidental. In the vast universe, many meaningless encounter happens, and their meeting was merely one of those, ultimately devoid of any meaning so there was no point in dwelling on her.
Shehnaaz's day was getting more eventful,every passing minute There were so much she had to share with Samarth,first the Maya incident and now this meeting. She dialed his number and waited anxiously as it rang."Sammy, C block ke terrace pe aa bhag ke." she quickly said.
"Ok, wait for 10 mins" he said and joined her in just 10 mins.
"Bol... Raunak ne kya kiya ab?" He asked as he reached there,panting..
"Abe woh chod yeah bata,do you believe that we meet people for a reason, I mean kuch bhi aise hi nahin hota hai,there is a reason behind everything?" She asked.
"Yaar yeah phone pe puch leti,bhaag ke aya hoon" he said shaking his head.
"Tujhe pata aj kya hua... hmmm pehle kaam ki baat karti hoon" She was about to say about Sidharth but it was not as important as the Maya incident.
"I met a lady in the café, ekdum Neeta Ambani type aura tha, aise chin up karke rakhti hai, you have seen those page 3 ladies no,jo ekdum crease free Raw mango ki sarees pehente hai..." she kept on explaining.
"Haan aage bol na" he asked.
"Uff explains bhi nahin karne deta hai... so unka card nahin chal raha tha and......." she narrated him the whole story of how she met Maya.
"Phir jab main unka visiting card dekhi...." she just stopped there to create some dream.
"Build up mat kar aage bol." he said.
"Kaun thi,any guess?" She asked him to guess.
"Lakhmi maasi?" He joked.
"Shut up yaar...... guess kar na"she said again.
"Nahin kar sakta...bata de please" he said.
"Ek clue Doon...she is CFO of a food manufacturing company and uska advertisement aise aata hai -Har insaan ki chaahat, humare desh ki izzaat... bata which brand I am taking about" she asked.
"Asli masale sach sach MDH?" He guessed.
"Chahat...izzaat ..ke sath MDH rhyme kar raha hai kya... gadha." she got annoyed.
"Rajjat foods... woh uski CFO thi and mujhe dinner pe bulai hai...and boli - we might think of doing something for your cause. " She said flashing a big smile.
"Wow.... that's such a great news yaar" Samarth too got excited listening about it.
"Shehnaaz, I am just so happy, ab dinner pe kuch gadbad mat karna" he advised . "I am glad that you found someone who can help you with your fundraiser" he dragged her for a quick hug.
"Ek baat aur bata,Is block main koi aya hai kya rehne?" she asked quickly as they broke the hug.
"How would I know, hua kya?" He urged to know.
"You know, I met someone abhi, itnaaa handsome tha ke kya bolun... very tall and broad and chehra aise chiseled...Easily tu usko Tom cruise se compare kar sakta hai"her voice got filled with excitement as she described.
"His complexion was also so manly, neither very fair nor dark" she said next.
"Aise uncha, lamba...I could see his muscles through his suit... Imagine how he would look in a t-shirt... and without a t-shirt..." she was about to say when he interrupted her.
"Alright, that's enough... you have praised him so much that I have starting to imagine about him...khud ke straight hone pe doubt ho raha hai mujhe" he said with a chuckle.
"And Shehnaaz, I can see you are smitten. But, remember, you are going on a date tomorrow. Isn't this borderline cheating?" He asked next.
"Do you remember you went to see the Taj Mahal once?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied.
"What did you say about the Taj Mahal?" she inquired.
"Go ahead, tell me," she nudged him.
"I said that it is intricately done, an amazingly crafted structure," he replied.
"Toh kya tu Tajmehel ko date karna chahta tha.... nahin na"Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she came up with an unexpected analogy.
"Come on, first the bus and a person were the same for you, now the Taj Mahal and a person are the same," he said with a hint of frustration in his voice.
"Understand this, if someone is handsome, I am going to call him handsome... I will check him out..... and He was just... wow," she admitted.
"Hmmm....your excitement makes it seem like you are truly interested," he teased, a grin played on her lips.
"Relax, kar be," Shehnaaz said, making a face at Samarth's teasing.
"It's not like that,thik hai.... I don't have any romantic interest in him. He was very guarded,he was aloof and extremely unapproachabl.. he gave me glances which felt as if he was challenging me... and his eyes had an different kind of intensity "she explained.
"Ab pakka yeh next bus hai.... kisine tujhe isharon main challenge kiya aur tu challenge accept nahin ki, yeah nahin ho sakta.... Raunak wale bus pe chadh hi mat phir" he said after listening to her.
"main issue sun le... he's 35, the same age as Mrs. Saini, and we both have the same age difference which dad and Mrs Saini has"She added, emphasizing her point.
"Toh?" He asked.
"It's just weird...it's a mental block may be... I can't explain it in words anyways Kal main date pe ja rahi hoon and honestly mujhe us main koi waisa wala interest nahin hai... he was just amazing to look at...that's it " she explained and she meant it.
"Cool" he Said.
"Kal chalega mera saath?" She asked next.
"No waya..." he replied and that time her phone rang.
"Yes...Laxmi masi" she said and suddenly her face lost its colours.
"Aa rahi hoon" She said and disconnected.
" kya hua?" He asked.
"Nothing,Pitaji padhare hain,drama awaits... I got to go.... kal baat karte hain" she said and headed towards her apartment.
Upon entering her apartment,she spotted her father standing in the living room and telling someone to Laxmi.
"Saab , Madam ji nahin aayin" Laxmi, asked him while giving him a glass of juice.
"Woh, Mehta's ke yahan gai hai, personally invite marne" he replied, Mehta's are Samarth's family and they have been friends since a long time.
"Acha, Shehnaaz baby aa gai. " Laxmi said as she spotted Shehnaaz standing near at the entrance of tha hallway.
"Laxmi, yeah cash rakho and just make sure ke saare fruit ghar pe hamesha ho.. and make her eat atleast 5 servings of fruit everyday." he said while giving her a bundle of cash.
"Kya hua Laxmi Masi?" she asked Laxmi without even greeting her dad.
"Woh, Saab bol rahe the..." she was explaining when Her Dad interrupted.
"Laxmi, you go inside get a glass of juice for her as well." her father said and she went away.
"Didn't I tell you to eat well, ghar pe bas 2 apple,4 pomegranate pada hai, chawl main jaake dance sikha sakti ho but apna take care nahin kar sakti" he said getting angry.
"Oh, Dad! I am fully aware of what to eat. Thank you for your concern," she retorted in a sarcastic way.
"Shehnaaz... I really need to talk to you. What are you doing with your life?" he asked, worry was evident in his voice.
"What am I doing? that's so wrong?" she replied.
"What did you do to Mr. Sharma?" he inquired.
"Who the hell is Mr. Sharma?" she asked
"The same person to whom you showed the middle finger in the reception area ,chawl ke logon ke saath rehke behavior bhi waise hota ja raha hai, tumhara""he yelled.
"Don't tell me he complained about me to you?" She was shocked.
"He could have had you arrested for making obscene gestures," he said, but her response was unexpected, she just bursted into laughter.
"You are such a shameless girl, are you laughing?" He asked, his anger started to flare.
"He could have got me arrested for showing him middle finger and yahan pe log dusron ko itna instigate karte hain ke woh suiside kar le still woh bahar khulla ghum rahe hain, shaadi kar rahe hain, bache paida kar rahe hain... wow!" She said bitterly.
"Shehnaaz not a single word more" he lost his cool,started moving back and forth, gripped his hand so that he won't slap her.
"Did I say anything wrong, Dad?" She said faking innocence, her father looked visibly restless and changed the topic in a go.
"Do you have any idea who was he,how respectable he is?" He asked after calming himself down.
"Kaun hai... humare desh ke PM?" She again said with sarcasm.
"Will you behave Shehnaaz!" he said gritting his teeth, when Laxmi entered with a glass a pomegranate juice.
"Yeah,lo beta" she gave it to Shehnaaz,she held the glass.
"See Shehnaaz,jo hua hua, I will meet him next week and apologize... for the time being lets concentrate on this.....Sunday's event is important, we will have many high profile guests, Reema told me that the dress I had sent for you got soiled and I am not dumb to know how it got soiled, mere paas bilkul time nahin hai still I managed to curate few dresses for you" he said trying to be patient with her but She had always resented him for attempting to control her life,he was doing it again.
"Laxmi in dresses ko center table pe spread karo" he asked the maid and she did that, all the dresses were classy,in different shades of peace and pink.
"Choose one of these" he said ,Shehnaaz looked at them properly,They were undeniably expensive, and with a single glance, all three captured her heart but in that moment, she had a dilemma - should she give her father the satisfaction that she liked the dresses he had chosen for her.
"I don't understand what's important for you my presence or me wearing any of these?" She just wanted to hear that her presence mattered most before choosing a dress.
"You being presentable in the party." her father replied in his regular arrogant tone.
"I don't want to come then"With equal arrogance, She replied.
"Shehnaaz, you really don't have a choice. I am your father, can't I expect this much from you?" he asserted.
"What will you do if I don't come?" She challenged him back.
"Shehnaaz, stop being so difficult. Just choose one of these," he urged, "just chose one finish this drama. " she reminded herself
"Remember when you wore those old jeans to Reema's baby shower? You did it deliberately, didn't you?" he accused she still tried to keep calm and started to scrutinize the dresses, she was not in a mood to argue with him anymore but her father hated the way she was just standing and looking at the garment.
"What it this attitude ...stop being a disgrace to the family Shenaaz, please for once prove me wrong and behave well" he said and then when she took a dress in her hand and inspected the embroidery and she could sense his smug satisfaction but he didn't stop there he went on to lecture about how she should be more responsible and well-behaved, her patience wore thin with every passing moment and she felt like doing something to shut him off "No,keep calm don't do anything stupid" she whispered to herself, fighting the rebellion growing inside her.
"If you really want me to take one of these then stop lecturing me." she gave him an ultimatum,but her father continued to lecture her on her supposed unruly behavior ,and his words fueled her frustration.
"And Shehnaaz aj ke baad you are not going to that slum again,you don't belong to such places" this was the last nail in the coffin. She felt frustration rushing through her, and impulsively splashed the glass of juice onto the dresses, staining them badly.She hadn't truly wanted to do it, but the control her father wanted to have over her actions had driven her to this impulsive act.
"Shit " she said and put her hand over her mouth ,she knew it was a big mistake.
"Oh no! I can't believe I did that by accident!"she said next.Her father's face became Red in anger, and he raised his hand to slap her, but at the last moment, he controlled himself.
"Saab ji" Laxmi almost screamed in fear but Shehnaaz stood still.
"What the hell did you do?" He asked.
"Dad... it just slipped from my hand," she quickly said with a hint of remorse.She felt bad for her impulsive action, but she wasn't going to openly show her regret to her father.
"What are you becoming Shehnaaz. " he said rubbing his forehead in frustration.
"What have I done, just a mistake dad" she again said when suddenly the ajar apartment door flung open.
"Shehnaaz didi, Surprise." a cheerful and loving 8 years old girl came running to her.
"Sara" Shehnaaz couldn't stop smiling looking at her.
"How is the surprise?" the little girl exclaimed and ran to embrace Shehnaaz.
"When did you come from boarding"she asked next.
"Today..." she said.
"Hello Shehnaaz, aate hi Sara ko sabse pehle aap se milna tha" Reema, Shehnaaz's step mother also walked in and a quick glance at the stained dresses on the table and her husband's furious expression told her everything she needed to know about what had happened in her absence.
"Reema, Sara chalo... we need to go" her father said in a very angry tone.
"No... no... I want to be with Shehnaaz didi" the young girl insisted,who was still clinging to her, Shehnaaz looked at her father's expression and felt slightly scared,not for her but for the things he was capable of snatching away from her.
"Thodi der ruk ke chahte hain please" Reema said looking at her husband in a very low tone.
"Please have a seat Mrs Saini" Shehnaaz said as she came near her.
"What the hell is Mrs Saini,call her mom." he shouted, Shehnaaz was now in a state of repentance, she realized that she had just gone little overboard, so didn't reply to him this time.
"It's, fine...doesn't matters actually " Reema said slowly looking at her husband.
"Shut up.. I am talking to my daughter,don't you dare say anything when I am talking to her." he shouted at Reema, Shehnaaz could feel that he was venting out his frustration on her.
"Sorry " Reema said.
"Ghar Chalo sab, Lakshmi in dresses ko fek dena" he said and this time Shehnaaz felt really bad.
"Papa.. I will not go home... I will stay with Shehnaaz didi...please " the young girl started to throw a tantrum.
"Sara, we need to go home, Arman ke saath Kaun khelega and we will buy toys also" he tried to divert her mind.
"no... Shehnaaz didi ke saath rehna hai,I have packed change of clothes as well" she said pointing towards her cute pink back pack.
"Not today...Reema usko leke jao." Reema just dragged the kid and took her toward the main door.
"Shehnaaz... please aana" Reema said one last time while going out of the apartment,her eyes looked teary, Shehnaaz nodded.
"Shehnaaz didi...I want to stay here" Sara pleaded one last time, her eyes locked onto Shehnaaz. Shehnaaz's heart felt as though it had shattered into thousands of pieces pieces looking at Sara's crying face . Shehnaaz never wanted to came close to Sara, as she hated Sara in the beginning but over the time, an unexpected bond had formed between them. Shehnaaz might appeared tough and heartless on the outside, but deep down, she longed for affection,and couldn't resist to the love and affection, her step sister had for her.
"Dad ,can you please let her stay with me tonight?" she said looking at her father,he looked frustrated.
"This was the plan, Shehnaaz. She wanted to stay with you, packed her bags herself, but not anymore... you are a bad influence," he said before leaving. A heaviness settled on her chest and she felt as if she needed to do something to ease the pain.
Despite her inner turmoil and a hankering need to cry, Shehnaaz remained still and thought about how once again, she refused to let her father have control over her. She forced a winning smile but still Sara's disappointed expression made her feel restless.she closed her eyes and took some deep breath "Sara is his daughter first, don't get too close to her" she reminded herself and tryed to numb her pain,she had already mastered in hiding her pain well.
"Shehnaaz beta... aap thik ho?" Laxmi asked after locking the maindoor.
"Yeah, Ofcourse " she said and In her quest for solace, she turned to a tried and tested coping mechanism.
She closed her eyes any imagined a beautiful place, where love and happiness cocooned her, she was with someone who truly loved her.In this imaginary world, her life was complete and overflowing with love, a complete opposite to the fractured one she knew now.
*
Sidharth felt a pang of guilt during dinner that night.Even though his mom was there still he had chosen to remain distant and lost in his thoughts,the entire evening. After returning from terrace, he had locked himself in his room, replaying his situation with Sameera and the peculiar advice from the girl he met.
Though most of the girls words had seemed nonsensical, one sentence had stirred his thoughts "one should always have the courage to get off the wrong bus and out of the wrong relationship. warna jindagi repentance main beetegi"Her word had been tattooed to his subconscious.
Now, as they both sat at the dinner table, he realized he needed to bridge the gap with his mother.
"Mom, is there any place you would like to visit tomorrow?"Clearing his throat, Sidharth finally broke the silence.
"Ah...no... actually I am meeting few people for dinner." she replied,she was calm and didn't show any kind of anger or irritation, even though she didn't like the way Sidharth walked out when they were talking.
"Ah! Great" he replied.
"So what about having brunch at some nice place tomorrow?" he asked next.
"We can, I need to do little bit of shopping as well,I told you about the girl I met right, I need to gift her something." she said.
"Birthday hai?" He asked next.
"No,just a goodwill gesture." she replied.
"Ah ! OK" he replied.
"Sidharth how much do you think we should contribute for her cause?" She asked next.
"Mom... you can decide that"he replied.
"Anyways woh Monday ayegi,tum milna us se,then we can decide what do to...but I just loved the girl,what confidence she had! I can only imagine how successful she will become as she matures." she said, and with the mention of the word 'confidence', he could picture the girl he had met on the terrace.
"Did you instructed the cook in the evening, food is yummy." Sidharth said next,trying to divert his mind.
"I made it." she replied.
"Very tasty." he complimented.
"Can you please ask her to cook like this, and it would be great if you can give her a weekly menu as well... every morning she asks what to make." he requested next.
"Haan.. woh main soch ke rakhi hoon" She replied with a smile.
"Are you feeling better now Sidharth, can we talk?" Maya asked making a serious face,He took a deep breath and hesitated for a moment,he knew what would follow.
"Yeah" he said.
"Did you speak to her?"she asked next.
"No" he replied.
"You said you will" she reminded him next.
"Yes,I did but now I am not feeling like" he replied.
"Sidharth, have I raised you to behave like this, how can you disrespect a woman, she was crying so badly beta." she said in a calm yet firm voice, Sidharth didn't respond,he was a pro at ignoring such conversations.
"Being a woman I can only imagine what she must be going through." she said next,he kept eating his food.
"Are you listening,you can trust me,you can share your issues with me." She asked,He didn't reply.
"I am talking to you,are you listening?" She asked again.
"Yes Mom,I am listening and I am not okay with sharing such intimate details of my life with anyone,I know you care, Mom, and I appreciate it. But sometimes, I just need space to figure things out on my own. It's not that I don't trust you but this is not something I would like to discuss with you" he said straight, he had no idea where did if came from,but he felt lighter after saying this.
"Alright, I won't push you to talk, I respect your boundaries but you need to atleast apologize her... being a woman" she was about to say but Sidharth cut her in between.
"What being a woman......just being a woman doesn't automatically grant her the rights to disclose such details of our personal life to anyone.. personal life is just personal. It's not something she should be sharing with anyone, even you... I am not going to say her sorry as I am only responsible for my words not for what she has derived out of it,neither I want her back in my life." He said looking straight at his mom.
"I agree that it wasn't appropriate for her to share those details. But maybe you should talk to her and.... you guys are perfect for each other, she too wants to come back..." he again didn't let her finish.
"Mom...one should always have the courage to get off the wrong bus and out of the wrong relationship.... now that it's over I would never board the same wrong bus again"He said out of the blue.
"Which bus?" His mom was shocked so was he, he couldn't believe how 'that girl's words from that brief encounter had left such a lasting impression on his subconscious. He simply shook his head and took a deep breath.
"Nothing...nothing... Sameera is a closed chapter now.Dinner was amazing mom...thank you...I am sleepy now, I love you." he got up and pressed a kiss on her cheeks and went to his room.
That night proved to be a sleepless one for both of them. They both layed on their respective beds, restlessly tossing and turning, attempting to understand what life had in store for them. She kind of beamed with hopefulness about her upcoming date with Raunak, while he felt as if he had finally found his closure with Sameera.
Suddenly, her phone pinged, she glanced at the message from Rounak. "Hey,can't wait for tomorrow evening!" it read. She smiled, thinking about the new chapter of her life.
Simultaneously, his phone too buzzed with a message from Raj "spoke to aunty in the evening , she had her plans so I'll pick you up early for the party tomorrow!" the text read and then he made an annoyed face as he knew he won't be able to escape it anymore.
Little did they know that while they were both anticipating different things from life, fate was quietly conspiring something else for them.
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